Rail joint

ABSTRACT

A RAIL JOINT CONNECTING A PAIR OF CONSECUTIVE SECTIONS OF RAIL TRACK, THE FACING ENDS OF THE SECTIONS ARE SPACED APART INCLUDING A BASE PLATE DISPOSED BENEATH BOTH OF THE SECTIONS, A BAR JOINT SECURING A PORTION OF EACH OF THE SECTIONS REMOTE FROM THE FACING ENDS TO THE BASE PLATE, A CLAMP DISPOSED ADJACENT THE FACING ENDS OF THE SECTION FOR FLOATINGLY SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF THE SECTIONS AND GROOVES AND ROLLERS DISPOSED IN THE BASE PLATE DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO FACING ENDS OF THE SECTIONS. WHEN A DOWNWARD FORCE IS EXERTED AT THE FACING END OF ONE OF THE TRACKS A FORCE IS TRANSMITTED TO THE FACING END OF THE TRACK THROUGH THE BASE PLATE TO MAINTAIN THE TRACK SECTIONS IN PLANAR ALIGNMENT.

Sept. 20, 1971 w. ORTH 3,506,152

RAIL JOINT Filed Feb. 17, 1969 13z m'i- INVENTOR WILHELM CRTH .MM ALA/4M, YZ' 2 He Att orneya United States Patent 3,606,152 RAIL JOINT Wilhelm Orth, 1 Alfentorplatz, 6 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Filed Feb. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 799,681 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 20, 1968, P 17 08 648.5 Int. Cl. E01b 11/56 US. Cl. 238-415 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rail joint connecting a pair of consecutive sections of rail track; the facing ends of the sections are spaced apart including a base plate disposed beneath both of the sections, a bar joint securing a portion of each of the sections remote from the facing ends to the base plate, a clamp disposed adjacent the facing ends of the section for floatingly supporting the ends of the sections and grooves and rollers disposed in the base plate directly adjacent to facing ends of the sections. When a downward force is exerted at the facing end of one of the tracks a force is transmitted to the facing end of the other track through the base plate to maintain the track sections in planar alignment.

This invention relates to a rail joint connecting a pair of consecutive sections of rail track.

Rails are laid on ties and are joined together by joint bars. Gaps must be left between the rails in order to provide adequate space for expansion of the track in response to variations of temperature. These gaps often produce severe shocks and unquiet travel as well as considerable wear and tear.

In order to eliminate these detrimental effects of rail joints, it has been proposed to provide a resilient support for the rail ends in order to spread the force over both ends. An improved joint can indeed be obtained by such construction but it does not make possible shock-free travel over the joints because the track ends can shift out of alignment Within reach of the spring.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device for an improved rail joint which would ensure the alignment of the two rail ends in service. Thereby no differences in the level of the rail ends will arise when the joint is travelled over so that a smooth and therefore shock-free passage over this point is provided.

The principal object of the instant device is to eliminate the drawbacks of prior devices as set forth hereinbefore and to maintain the facing ends of consecutive rail sections in planar alignment.

One aspect of the invention consists in a rail joining device for connecting a pair of consecutive rails comprising: a base member for supporting the consecutive rails, a first clamping means for clamping a portion of each of the rails remote from their facing ends to the base member, a second clamping means for floatingly clamping one of the rails adjacent its facing end and a force transmitting means disposed on the base member directly adjacent the facing ends of each rail whereby upon exerting a force at the facing end of the other of the said rails the force is transmitted to the facing end of the one of the said rails to maintain the facing ends of the rails in planar alignment.

Preferably, the first clamping means include a pair of joint bars disposed along opposite sides of the base member having a portion for receiving the bottom of the rail.

Preferably, the first clamping means also includes a bolt passing through the base member for securing the joint bars theerto, and the portion for receiving the bottom of the rail includes a first portion adapted to support the bottom surface of the rail bottom and a second portion for extending over the upper surface of the rail bottom.

Preferably, the second clamping means includes a pair of clamping plates disposed along opposite sides of the base member with inwardly curved end portions wherein one end portion of each of the clamping plates is connected to the rail bottom and the other end portion of each of the clamping plates adapted to co-operate with the upper surface of the rail bottom, and means securing the clamping means to the base member.

Preferably, each of the transmission means includes a recess in the upper surface of the base member and a roller bearing received in the recess.

According to a modified embodiment a floating clamping means is provided for the other of the said rails adjacent its facing end so that the device maintains the rails in planar alignment for both directions of travel.

This construction makes it possible for the rail facing ends to be oriented exactly flush and when the rail joint is ridden over, the forces are transmitted from one rail roller bearing to the other rail end without at that time the rail facing ends being able to move out of their flush plane at the place of the joint.

The invention will now be described in accordance with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

dFIG. 1 shows a front view of a device for joining rail en s;

FIG. 2 shows the same presentation as FIG. 1 but for two directions of travel;

51G. 3 shows a section along line III-III of FIG. 1; an

FIG. 4 shows a section along line IVIV of FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1 the rail joining device 1 is secured at the ends of rails 2 and 3. In contrast to the known rail joining device the present device is not supported on ties but in open space so that a floating joint results.

The device 1 includes a base plate 4, joint bars '5 disposed at each side thereof. The base plate is provided with a transverse bore. A bolt 7 is inserted through the bore for connecting the joint bars 5 to the base plate. The upper end of the joint bars 5 is formed to receive the sides of the rail or bottom flange 9 of the rail 9. The upper end includes a thumb portion 8 which extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the base plate and a finger portion which curves upwardly in co-operation with the upper surface of the rail bottom.

Clamping plates 11 are disposed on the base plate 4 close to the end of each rail 2 and 3. The clamping plates 11 are connected to each other by a bolt 12, the bolt 12 being guided in a transverse groove 13 in the base plate 4. The ends 14 and 15 of the clamping plates have two bent over end portions and extend over the top of the rail bottom and beneath the base plate 4. In the base plate 4 directly adjacent the ends of the rails 2 and 3 are provided two further transverse grooves 16 and 17. Roller bearings ;18 and 19 are guided in the grooves 16 and 17. The roller bearings 18 and 19 align the rail ends relative to one another as well as transfer the force from one rail end to the other so that the rail ends do not move out of planar alignment.

The action of the present device is as follows. If, for example, the rail joint 10 is ridden over in the direction of the arrow I, the rail end 2 will first exert a force on the roller bearing 18. This roller bearing 18 then transmits the force to the base plate 4 thereby creating a torsional moment about the bolt 7 of the bar joint 5. Due to the transmitting of this very slight downward movement of the base plate 4, to the clamping plate 11 which is fixedly connected to the base plate 4 and to the rail bottom 9, simultaneously makes a similar movement ice which moves the end of rail 3 into planar alignment with the end of rail 2.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is the same as for FIG. 1 except for the fact that it is effective for both directions of travel, i.e. while there is only one roller bearing 18 in FIG. 1, two roller bearings, 18, 19 and two pairs of clamping plates are present in FIG. 2 so that, corresponding to the direction of travel, an alternating action as described, will occur.

I claim:

1. A rail joining device for connecting a pair or" consecutive rails comprising: a base member for supporting the consecutive rails, a first clamping means for clamping a portion of each of the rails remote from their facing ends to the base member, a second clamping; means for fioatingly clamping at least one of the rails adjacent its facing end and a force transmission means disposed on the base member directly adjacent the facing ends of each rail whereby upon exerting a force at the facing end of the other of the said rails, the force is transmitted to the facing end of one of the said rails to maintain the facing ends of the rails in planar alignment, said second clamping means including a pair of clamping plates disposed along opposite sides of the base member with in- Wardly curved end portions wherein one end portion of each of the clamping plates is connected to a bottom flange of the rail and the other end portion of each of the clamping plates is adapted to cooperate with the upper surface of the bottom flange, and means securing the clamping means to the base member.

2. A device as claimed in claim ;1 wherein each of the transmission means includes a recess in the upper surface of the base member and a roller bearing received in the recess.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second floating clamping means is provided for the other of the said rails adjacent its facing end so that the rails are maintained in planar alignment for both directions of travel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,696,108 12/ 1928 Boyd et al 23 8--205 1,264,209 4/ 1918 Robbins 23 83 04 2,613,875 10/1952 Reifurth 23 8173 2,804,270 8/1957 Martin 238-173 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,102 7/1902 Great Britain 238217 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 238--151, 358 

